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Re: [GWL]: White List

Conrad Richter included an analysis of the effects of the White List in the
August issue of his HerbLetter (http://www.richters.com):

> I have heard that since this was written the USDA has delayed
> implementation of the policy until Jan. 2002. Does anyone have new
> information on this policy change?
>
> Conrad Richter

------------------------------------------------------------------------
23. U.S. Department of Agriculture to Enforce Phytosanitary Regulations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Conrad Richter

Aug. 1 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month that it
will enforce existing but unenforced regulations concerning the importation
of plants and seeds into the United States. Beginning September 23, all
plant and seed shipments into the U.S. must be accompanied by a valid
phytosanitary certificate issued in the country of origin.

Observers say that that change in policy will effectively block importation
of many of the less common flowers, vegetables and herb plant and seeds.
Thousands of varieties are brought into the U.S. each year in quantities
too small to justify the cost of a phytosanitary certificate or from
countries where obtaining a phytosanitary certificate is too difficult.

The policy change will make it next to impossible for U.S. citizens and
businesses to buy seeds from foreign suppliers because the cost of issuing
phytosanitary certificates for every seed packet imported will be
prohibitive.

"There is no doubt that this will have a huge impact on niche industries
such as mailorder seed houses specializing in seeds of rare plants," said a
representative of a Canadian seed company.

According to the policy announcement published in the Federal Register on
July 23, "this action is necessary in order to more effectively mitigate
the risk of introduction of foreign plant pests associated with the
importation of these commodities into the United States."

Critics say that the policy change is ham-fisted and will cause greater
harm than it seeks to prevent because it will deny gardeners, plant
enthusiasts and commercial growers access to thousands of species and
varieties of plants, the vast majority of which pose no risk of harbouring
diseases or pests dangerous to the U.S.

In background information provided in the policy announcement, the USDA
says that over 694 million plants were imported into the U.S. in 1999
compared to 456 million in 1993, a 52% increase. Seed imports increased
38% from 8.7 kilograms in 1997 to 12 million kilograms in 1999. These
recent increases lead some observers to wonder if the real reason for the
change in policy has more to do putting up a barrier against foreign
imports to protect the domestic horticultural industry than about keeping
pests and diseases out.

The policy change will mean that foreign exporters will have to arrange for
and either pay for or charge their U.S. customers the cost of getting a
phytosanitary certificate for each shipment entering into the U.S. For
example, Mexico charges $24.86 (U.S.) for each certificate issued and
Canada charges $11.25 (U.S.). These new costs, along with the
administrative costs and delays, will make it impossible for most small
seed companies to sell seeds to U.S. gardeners.

An inspector of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency which is responsible
for issuing phytosanitary certificates in Canada said that the CFIA is
already overloaded with existing inspections of large commercial shipments
and does not see how it will be possible with current staffing levels to
inspect many thousands of small shipments going to the U.S.

In the background information, the USDA admits that it does not know what
percentage of plant material entering the U.S. is not accompanied by a
phytosanitary certificate. "We do not maintain such data," the policy
statement says. But based on "informal observations" by its own
inspectors, the USDA believes that most shipments of plant material are
already accompanied by phytosanitary certificates. It does acknowledge
though that American small businesses and home gardeners will be the most
affected by the new policy.

[Policy announcement published in the U.S. Federal Register, Vol. 66, No.
141.]


RICHTERS HERBS | Info: info@r... *
Goodwood, ON L0C 1A0, Canada | Catalogs: catalog@r... *
Tel +1-905-640-6677 Fax 640-6641 | Website: http://www.richters.com *
* * * * Richters 2001 Herb Farming Intensive ~ Oct. 6 * * * *


John MacGregor
jonivy@earthlink.net 

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